Rachael watched her father drink himself to death and join a long list of alcohol related fatalities in her family.  Rachael’s maternal great grandfather, paternal grandfather, and several aunts and uncles on both sides of the family either died directly from hazardous and abusive drinking or their lives were substantially shortened due to their chronic alcohol abuse or alcoholism.

At one point Rachael began wondering if she too would become an alcohol abuser or an alcohol dependent person and die prematurely from this disease.

In fact, Rachael was so worried about this that she scheduled an appointment with her doctor to discuss her concerns regarding her drinking and her family history of drinking problems.

Her doctor told her that alcohol addiction does in fact run in families and that if she made sure to always drink in moderation, she probably wouldn’t face any serious alcohol related problems.

Then her doctor told her that if she wanted to make sure that he would never have to fear alcohol dependency and any alcohol related problems all she would have to do is totally stop drinking.  In all honesty, this second option was making more and more sense to Rachael the more she thought about her family and the damaging and life threatening consequences they faced because of their abusive and irresponsible drinking.

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Research shows that increasing numbers of people throughout the world are starting to experience various alcoholism and alcohol abuse effects.

Based on the number of diseases, illnesses, and aliments that are indirectly or directly associated with alcohol dependency and chronic alcohol abuse, it is only logical to conclude that as increasing numbers of people begin to engage in excessive and abusive drinking, increasing numbers of people will experience the adverse effects of long term alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction.

While it seems that many people ignore the multitude of health problems that are correlated with abusive and hazardous drinking, it needs to be highlighted that many of the negative alcohol abuse and alcoholism effects can and do result in the loss of life.  Examples include heart disease, hepatitis, pancreatitis, cancer, strokes, and cirrhosis.

Kathy has been an excessive drinker her entire adult life.  Now that she is almost forty-five years old, she is beginning to become more health conscious and actually wants to learn more about the negative effects of alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

For example, is it possible for a long-term abusive drinker to significantly reduce her drinking and start to drink in moderation?  Is her drinking negatively affecting her circulatory system? Is her drinking adversely affecting her sex life?  Are heart problems and strokes linked to heavy drinking?  Has she involved herself in binge drinking? Is her excessive drinking adversely affecting her organs and bodily systems?  Is she running the risk of becoming alcohol dependent if she continues her heavy drinking?

By asking these questions, Kathy has concluded that her irresponsible and abusive drinking has probably contributed more to her health problems than any thing else she has done.  And now, she wants to reverse or stop the damage so that she can live in a healthier, more productive manner.

Recently, Randy has been drinking more than ever.  Not only this, but his job performance at work has been deteriorating, he has had more heated arguments than ever with his girlfriend, he recently received his second DUI in the past two months, and he just hasn’t felt like his old, energetic self.

In addition, Randy has become concerned about having to drink more and more to get the same “buzz.”  In fact, he often drinks so much to experience an alcohol “high” that he gets inebriated several times every week.  Ironically, he has always been a health-conscious individual who watched his diet and exercised on a daily basis.

Now, however, he has not only lost all interest in keeping physically fit but he has begun to eat nothing but fast food and junk food.  Acutely aware of all of these issues, he has begun to wonder if his alcohol-related problems are alcoholism signs.

Stated another way, he has started to wonder if he might be alcohol dependent.  The good news, however, is that he has been so concerned about his drinking behavior that he decided to schedule an appointment with his doctor to discuss his excessive drinking.

Miss Billings was a seventh-grade teacher at the local junior high school that was located on the North side of town.  In addition to her master’s degree in education, Miss Billings also had a master’s degree in drug and alcohol counseling.  In a word, Miss Billings was very knowledgeable about alcohol abuse and alcoholism information.

One of the things that Miss Billings emphasized was the fact that the later people began drinking, the less the likelihood they would involve themselves in alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency later in life.

As a consequence, it made sense to her to teach her seventh-graders about the difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism, about binge drinking, and about the many different adverse effects that are directly or indirectly linked to hazardous and excessive drinking.

“What are the symptoms of alcoholism?” Janet asked Megan, her drinking friend.  “Is it possible that we are becoming alcohol dependent?”  Megan thought about these questions for a few seconds and then told Janet that they might in fact be addicted to alcohol but that they need to find out the facts from someone who an alcoholism professional or a doctor.

“Do you think we should talk to counselor Paterson at school?” wondered Megan.  “I heard from my boyfriend Paul that Miss Paterson is “approachable” and is particularly knowledgeable about drug and alcohol addiction.  Let’s go and talk with her tomorrow” Janet added.

So both girls went to school the next day and stopped in to talk to counselor Paterson after school.  Miss Paterson called the lab at the local hospital and scheduled a series of tests the girls would take the next morning that would help determine the extent of their abusive drinking and whether they are alcohol abusers or dependent on alcohol.

After talking to Miss Paterson, both girls were much relieved and felt good about themselves for finally deciding to address their drinking problems.

Let us think about “career direction” for a few minutes.  A moment’s thought will verify the fact that there are more than a few individuals in our society who are clueless about what to with their lives occupationally speaking.  Indeed, no matter what they do in the work-world, they simply cannot figure out what career to pursue.

When I hear about individuals like this, I sometimes half jokingly think to myself that what these individuals need to do is to become alcohol dependent, go through successful alcohol treatment, maintain their sobriety, and then spend the rest of their lives talking to others about the hazards and devastation of alcoholism and how this disease should be avoided at all costs.  As humorous as this sounds, there are quite a few individuals in our society who have “found” their career “calling” exactly this way.  Such are the wonders of “career direction.”

An observation.  Individuals who have set noble, healthy goals for themselves rarely incorporate alcohol abuse and alcoholism as part of their lifestyle.

People who are driven to succeed and to achieve their goals usually have to maintain a consistent daily approach in order to become and stay successful. This very fact typically prevents such “goal-oriented” individuals from “letting their hair down” and involving themselves in abusive and excessive drinking behavior.

There seems to be a moral to this story.  If people want to achieve something that is worthy of their effort and their self-respect, then they need to avoid hazardous and abusive drinking.  And by avoiding excessive and unhealthy drinking, a person will avoid alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency.

One of the most perplexing aspects about alcohol abuse effects is this:  when people start to experience alcohol related problems and devastation in their lives, why do they typically exhibit such reluctance to seek alcohol treatment?  What is stopping problem drinkers from getting the alcohol counseling they need?

I realize that denial is a key characteristic of alcohol dependent individuals, but why do problem drinkers who are not dependent on alcohol so often fail to get the professional assistance they require?  Why do individuals who engage in abusive and hazardous drinking behavior so frequently fail to discuss their drinking problems with their healthcare provider or with their family physician?  Why not address the issue so that something therapeutic can be initiated before an individual’s world collapses?

Common sense says that Jeremy should have known better.  His father was a drug and alcohol abuse counselor and his mother was a registered nurse.  Both parents spent many hours teaching Jeremy about the dangers and the harmful effects of alcohol and drug abuse.

At eighteen years old, however, Jeremy knew first-hand about the negative effects of alcoholism because he was an alcoholic.  How could this possibly happen?

When Jeremy was fifteen years old, he and his best buddy decided to experiment with alcohol by drinking a few beers.  They liked how they felt so much that soon they were drinking two six-packs of beer every day.

It didn’t take long before both adolescents were dependent on alcohol.  As a consequence of their addiction, both young men are currently in residential alcohol treatment and working on starting their lives all over again, this time in an alcohol-free manner.

Sometime last year I watched an episode of “Who is Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?”  After watching a number of episodes, it is clear that many adults in our “enlightened” society do not know what is being taught to our students, especially those who are in elementary school.

I wonder much fifth graders know about some of the basic negative alcoholism and alcohol abuse effects.  I wonder how many fifth graders are taught about the association that exists between hazardous and excessive drinking and brain damage, cancer, and heart disease.

I wonder how many fifth graders are cognizant of the destroyed relationships, unemployment problems, legal issues, health problems, and the financial difficulties that are directly or indirectly related to alcohol dependency and chronic alcohol abuse.

One of the main facts about alcohol abuse is that abusive and excessive drinking leads to a host of alcohol related problems in an individual’s life.  One of the most severe problems that alcohol abuse can lead to, it can be pointed out, is alcoholism.

Stated more precisely repetitive and excessive drinking, at some point, can and does make the transition from alcohol abuse to alcohol dependency.  When this happens, unfortunately, the problem drinker will experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms if he or she suddenly stops drinking.  Indeed, it is the fear of facing one’s alcohol withdrawals that plays a major role in the repetitive and continuous drinking by the alcoholic and for his or her need to drink in order to function.

According to alcohol abuse and alcoholism research statistics, 500,000 American youth between the ages of 9 and 12 are dependent on alcohol.  A number of substance abuse studies have demonstrated the fact that far more people are alcohol abusers than alcoholics.

By “doing the math,” we can determine the following: if 500,000 children between the ages of 9 and 12 are alcohol dependent, this means that there are more than 500,000 U.S. alcohol abusers in this same age group.

The U.S. demographics will show that there are more adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19 than there are children between the ages of 9 and 12.  We can conclude, therefore, that significantly more than 500,000 U.S. teenagers are dependent on alcohol.

Plugging in the numbers from the analysis above, we can conclude that more than one million U.S. pre-teens and teenagers are addicted to alcohol. and even more than one million teens and teenagers are alcohol abusers.  In sum, it would appear that youth alcohol abuse AND youth alcohol addiction are widespread societal problems that requires immediate attention from a prevention, education, and treatment perspective.

Continuing to drink after it causes you to shirk your responsibilities at home, school, or at work; drive while you are “under the influence;” get in trouble with the law (for example, getting arrested for a DUI); or miss work is alcohol abuse.

You are also involving yourself in alcohol abuse if your drinking causes problems in your finances, your health, or in your relationships.  If you are exhibiting any of these drinking problems, why not get alcohol treatment before you run the risk of becoming alcohol dependent?

Elaine has worked at the local social services agency for the past thirteen years.  Besides providing residents with information about child support, unemployment compensation, food stamps, and employment, the agency therapists also provide various types of counseling.

While many residents seek counseling in areas such as financial management, time management, crisis management, and anger management, Elaine and the other therapists have learned that they do more alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse counseling than any other type of therapy.

Indeed, it appears that a lot of the residents are not only in need of counseling for their alcohol problems, but many people in the general population also seek alcohol information so they can better cope with a family member or a relative who is an alcoholic or an alcohol abuser.

Justin was a carpenter who had a reputation as an excessive and abusive drinker.  One night he met a young lady named Rebecca at the local nightclub.  While Justin and Rebecca were making “small talk,” Rebecca did an about face and openly asked Justin if he drank as much as was reported via the “grape vine.”

Justin tried to deflect the question somewhat by saying that a person shouldn’t believe everything he or she hears, but finally admitted that he probably drank too much.  Then Rebecca asked Justin the following questions:  “don’t you ever worry about your health and how hazardous and excessive drinking adversely affects your body and other important aspects of your life?” “Do you even wonder if you have an alcohol abuse or an alcohol dependency problem?”

Justin actually got a bit defensive with these questions but held his temper in check as he mentioned how he probably should pay a little more attention to the ways in which drinking is affecting his life.  He then excused himself to go to the restroom and instead left the nightclub.  Apparently Rebecca’s questions hit one of Justin’s “hot buttons” and due to the fact that he didn’t want to pursue Rebecca’s line of questioning any more, he decided to leave the nightclub.  Justin is the perfect example of someone who has a difficult time facing the facts and the truth about his or her abusive drinking.

Why is it that some “problem drinkers” never seem to learn from their alcohol-related mistakes?  Take Janet for example.  Janet refused to drink in moderation or quit drinking even after receiving three DWIs and after getting rushed to the hospital twice because she displayed alcohol poisoning symptoms.

Based on this information, one can reasonably wonder if Janet has a “death wish” or if she is in so much emotional turmoil that nothing matters but drinking her way through her problems.

Does Janet possess such poor coping skills that she has to resort to drinking to deal with her suffering and pain?  Does Janet suffer from a neurotic sense of guilt that she just can’t resolve or let go?  In all probability, unfortunately, Janet is simply a “typical” alcohol dependent person who has to drink everyday so that she can avoid the alcohol withdrawal symptoms she will experience if she tries to stop drinking.

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Maybe the best illustration of alcoholism signs concerns the alcohol withdrawal symptoms that are experienced when an alcohol dependent person quits drinking.  Clearly there are many other signs pointing to the fact that an individual may be addicted to alcohol.  Experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms, however, is the most obvious alcoholism sign because these symptoms reveal that the individual is truly alcohol dependent.

Stated differently, research demonstrates the fact that it is the fear of undergoing alcohol withdrawal symptoms that makes alcohol addicted individuals drink every day.  Not only this but it is the fear of suffering through alcohol withdrawal symptoms that goes a long way in explaining why an alcoholic exhibits a loss of control concerning his or her drinking behavior.

Tony was a young teenager who had already experienced some of the negative consequences of alcohol abuse and alcoholism.  Tony’s introduction to alcohol started when he was barely twelve years old.  Indeed, this was the time when he had his first bottle of beer with some of his older friends.  Tony clearly remembered that drinking the entire bottle of beer made him feel “good” and that all of his worries seemed to disappear.

Due to the fact that he had such a “positive” first experience with drinking, he continued to drink beer all through junior high and senior high school.  Now, instead of feeling good from an alcohol “buzz,” however, he drank just to get through each day without suffering through alcohol withdrawal symptoms.  In short, Tony has become a teenager who is alcohol dependent and who is in desperate need of alcohol treatment.

It is truly sad that someone as young as Tony needs to experience the devastating consequences of alcoholism.  Even worse, every day this same theme, namely teenage alcoholism, is played out by thousands of teenagers in our society.

Nate was getting more concerned everyday about his Dad’s drinking behavior.  For several months he suspected that his Dad was an alcoholic but like the other family members, no one really wanted to come out in the open and frankly discuss the issue.

What triggered Nate’s recent concerns about his father’s drinking was a special TV program that focused on alcohol dependency in general and on the various alcoholism stages in particular.  As Nate watched the program, he not only realized that his Dad was probably an alcoholic but that his disease had progressed to one of the later stages of alcoholism.

After watching the program, Nate’s hope was that he could convince his Dad to get the professional alcohol treatment he required.